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A review by misterjay
Mean Streets by Jim Butcher
4.0
This book is what you might call a sampler. There are four original, novella length stories here, each featuring a protagonist who is a private investigator of some kind in a world where magic and magical denizens are real.
Jim Butcher gives us a Harry Dresden story. Harry has to help his friend Michael, who, although recovered from the injuries he received in "White Night" has still retired from carrying a hold sword. Someone is stalking Michael's family, trying to get his sword. A fight ensues, naturally enough and Harry has some thinking to do. Really good and fits into the overall Dresden timeline well. Standard, exciting, page-turning Butcher fare.
Simon R. Green gives us a story of the Nightside, an unseen version of London where anything can and does happen. The hero is John Taylor, a magician and P.I. who has a gift for finding things. A woman finds him in a bar sharing a drink with his friend Dead Boy; she's hysterical and has no memory of the past 24 hours. Taylor and DB set out to help her find her missing memories and they do, but at a hell of a cost.
Kat Richardson tells us a ghost story from Oaxaca, Mexico, featuring scandal, betrayal, surly teenagers, old mystics and a little clay dog. Our heroine is Harper Blaine, called the Greywalker after she died for two minutes and came back being able to see and interact with ghosts, witches, angels, and whatever else may come out of the grey. What I enjoyed most about this story was the attention to detail. Richardson sets the stage with details of Mexican life and celebrations and occasional bits of Spanish dialogue in a way that turns an ordinary investigation story into something much more powerful.
Thomas E. Sniegoski brings us a story of the angel Remiel, who has endeavored to become more like God's chosen creation, more human. His wife has recently died and he is in mourning. Another angel visits him to tell him that Noah (he of the ark and dove) has been killed. The religious mythology is woven into a who dunnit story seemlessly and with a lot of style. Some of the dialogue seemed a little stilted, but the actions and characters more than made up for that.
While I was already a huge Jim Butcher fan, this book achieved its goal in that I have already searched out and ordered the first books featuring the heros and heroine from the other three authors. Good purchase. Worth the money and a great read for any fan of any of the protagonists who is looking for more of the same.
Jim Butcher gives us a Harry Dresden story. Harry has to help his friend Michael, who, although recovered from the injuries he received in "White Night" has still retired from carrying a hold sword. Someone is stalking Michael's family, trying to get his sword. A fight ensues, naturally enough and Harry has some thinking to do. Really good and fits into the overall Dresden timeline well. Standard, exciting, page-turning Butcher fare.
Simon R. Green gives us a story of the Nightside, an unseen version of London where anything can and does happen. The hero is John Taylor, a magician and P.I. who has a gift for finding things. A woman finds him in a bar sharing a drink with his friend Dead Boy; she's hysterical and has no memory of the past 24 hours. Taylor and DB set out to help her find her missing memories and they do, but at a hell of a cost.
Kat Richardson tells us a ghost story from Oaxaca, Mexico, featuring scandal, betrayal, surly teenagers, old mystics and a little clay dog. Our heroine is Harper Blaine, called the Greywalker after she died for two minutes and came back being able to see and interact with ghosts, witches, angels, and whatever else may come out of the grey. What I enjoyed most about this story was the attention to detail. Richardson sets the stage with details of Mexican life and celebrations and occasional bits of Spanish dialogue in a way that turns an ordinary investigation story into something much more powerful.
Thomas E. Sniegoski brings us a story of the angel Remiel, who has endeavored to become more like God's chosen creation, more human. His wife has recently died and he is in mourning. Another angel visits him to tell him that Noah (he of the ark and dove) has been killed. The religious mythology is woven into a who dunnit story seemlessly and with a lot of style. Some of the dialogue seemed a little stilted, but the actions and characters more than made up for that.
While I was already a huge Jim Butcher fan, this book achieved its goal in that I have already searched out and ordered the first books featuring the heros and heroine from the other three authors. Good purchase. Worth the money and a great read for any fan of any of the protagonists who is looking for more of the same.